The preferred method of payment in Blue Sombrero is credit cards, debit cards or pre-paid credit cards. Payments collected by Blue Sombrero are automatically routed to a Region’s bank via ACH transfer for all Region fees collected. Similarly, the AYSO Membership fee will be automatically routed to the National bank account, eliminating Player Fee Invoicing, Accounts Receivable and Top 5 Reporting.

In the long run, this will dramatically simplify Region fund management. Nonetheless, cash/check payments may be accepted, but require additional Region processing.

There will be a bi-weekly deposit to the Region’s bank account of all the fees that are collected and paid by credit card and a corresponding MDRF will be automatically logged into the Region’s NAP online account.

Yes, cash and checks may be accepted by Regions, but are not recommended. When parents pay by either credit card, debit card or pre-paid credit cards, the fees flow through Blue Sombrero directly to Region, Area, Section and National Office bank accounts with complete transparency. Corresponding automated entries are made to NAP Online to record revenue and provide financial updates.

When a Region, Area or Section accepts cash or check payments, they will be required to pay the National Membership Fee to the National Office before the player can be assigned to teams. In order to better serve those Regions who need to accept larger volumes of cash/check payments for player registration fees, we have implemented the following “batch” process to enable the payment of the National Annual Membership fees for those players:

First, all parents must complete their Player’s Registration Form in BSB and eSign it so that a Player Registration form with all the required waivers is on file (per Bylaw 1.04, Policies & Protocols). Parents who do not want to pay be credit, debit or pre-paid credit card can leave the registration in their shopping cart without paying and print their form when they review it during the eSignature process. This registration becomes an Open Shopping Cart Order.

Regions can accept cash/check payment in person, but are still required to update the system with payments they have accepted. A new report, “AYSO Cash/Check File” is available under Reports >Billing Reports which reports players requiring payment of the National Membership Fee. Regions generate this report as an Excel spreadsheet and mark the players paid in the spreadsheet.

Regions email the Excel spreadsheet to feepayment@ayso.org and send a check for ($17.50 + a $1.00) for each player marked paid to the AYSO Lockbox address. There is an additional $1.00 per player fee for each player processed. Once Finance has confirmed payment, the player records will be updated as “paid” for the Membership Year and the Region will be notified.

The Region can then complete the registration order by opening each paid Open Order and indicating the Region fees paid by cash/check.
This process is very similar to the current procedures for paying National Fee Invoices from eAYSO and should help Regions bridge the gap to electronic payments.

Alternatively, Regions may apply for and use a Wells Fargo Commercial credit card to pay for the player’s National Membership fees. When a Region, Area or Section accepts cash or check payments, they will be required to use a Wells Fargo Commercial credit card to pay for the player’s National Membership fee. Payment of the National Membership fee “registers” a player to make the player eligible to be assigned to a team and print a player ID card.

The Wells Fargo Commercial credit card is available to the Regional Commissioner, Area Director, or Section Director.

If you are a Section Director, Area Director or Regional Commissioner and would like a Wells Fargo Commercial credit card for Region use, please contact CommercialCard@ayso.org to start the process. Note that no one else on the Regional Board can submit a request.

Membership in AYSO is required for each Membership Year (8/1 – 7/31) before a member may participate in any AYSO program or event.
Once issued or purchased, some of products or services cannot be refunded/returned. This is consistent with membership in other youth sports organizations.

The AYSO National Membership Fee ($17.50) will be added to the shopping cart when a parent applies for their child to play in a program for the first time ach Membership Year. The AYSO National Membership fee will only be charged once per Membership Year regardless of the number of programs or Regions the player participates in.

The AYSO Membership Fee (formerly known as the National Player Fee) is non-refundable and non-transferable member fee to participate in AYSO. Membership in AYSO is required for each Membership Year (8/1 – 7/31) before a member may participate in any AYSO program or event. This fee entitles the member to all benefits for that membership year, including:

Free Blue Sombrero websites are available for all Regions to hold Registration for Membership Year 2017. All parents and volunteers will have to create a new login on Blue Sombrero in order to enable the single-sign-on utility and to upgrade security credentials.